University tops eco-friendly league table

It was given a First Class award – the highest possible grade – in an annual eco survey by People and Planet, a large student organisation dedicated to ending world poverty, defending human rights and protecting the environment.

The University’s 2013 grade is a marked improvement on its 2011 rating, when it was given a 2:2 classification, the third-highest degree awarded.

It is now ranked joint 39th out of all universities in the country, having soared nearly 100 places in the last three years.

The league table works by ranking each university according to the way it handles renewable energy, waste and recycling, carbon emissions and water reduction, among other criteria.

The group also look at how each institution advocates green policies through staff and students and how it propagates ethical procurement and fair trading.

The University of Wolverhampton’s present position is the result of a huge amount of work across the University, which has included achieving an 85% recycling rate across all campuses, running energy awareness campaigns, reducing CO2 emissions by 25%, installing water-saving devices in toilets, and putting in place charge points for electric vehicles.

A spokesman for the University of Wolverhampton said: “This represents a real achievement for the University, which is committed to being an environmentally considerate institution.

“We count sustainability as one of our priorities and will continue to develop further ways of reducing our carbon footprint, utilising renewable energy sources and reducing waste.”

ENDS

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